1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to garment hangers and, more particularly, to garment hangers that are capable of displaying garments through the use of pinch-grips on each end of the hanger body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of pinch-hangers are known. These hangers include an attachment portion for securing the hanger body to a support (typically, a hook that secures the hanger body to a rod), and pinch-grips attached to the hanger body, typically at opposite ends thereof. Each pinch-grip includes a pair of vertically-extending gripping components, a mechanism for pivotally securing the components together, and a mechanism for biasing the bottom ends of the gripping components together. Typically, each gripping component has an upper end, a lower end and a central or connecting component portion between the ends. The bottom ends are configured and dimensioned to cooperatively receive and maintain a garment therebetween under the influence of the biasing mechanism. Preferably, the securing mechanism pivotably secures one connecting component portion to another connecting component portion.
To insert or remove a garment from the hanger, the upper ends of the gripping components are pinched together. Applying a pinching force greater than the force applied by the biasing mechanism to the upper ends of a connecting pivots the connecting components at a pivot axis separating the lower ends of the connecting components. In this “open” or releasing orientation, the garment may be removed from or inserted into the pinch-grip. Finally, when the upper ends of the components are released, the biasing mechanism causes the components to pivot at the pivot axis and to return to their original orientation with the upper ends spaced apart and the lower ends biased together. In this “closed” or gripping orientation, the garment may be suspended between the component lower ends. If no article is between the lower ends, then the component lower ends may actually touch and abut, thereby forming an “abutting” orientation, or may overlap, thereby forming a “staggered” orientation.
Such pinch-hangers are frequently used at retail stores to display garments suspended from the pinch-grips, such as a pair of pants, a skirt, or the like. In the optimal retail setting, the garment hangers (and the garments thereon) are sufficiently spaced from one another along a rod so that the pinch-grip components are not likely to undergo a re-orientation relative to one another as a result of pressure exerted thereon by an adjacent hanger or the clothing thereon. However, in fact, the garment hangers (and the garments thereon) are usually tightly pressed, one against the next, so as to put on display to potential customers the maximum number of garments. In this situation, the pinch-grips may open as result of the pressure exerted thereon by an adjacent hanger or by the clothing thereon. As a result, the clothing supported by the pinch-grip will fall to the floor.
Even where the hangers (and the garments thereon) are not crowded together along a rod when being displayed, they are typically crowded together during handling.
In particular, pinch-hangers are not well suited for use in the transport (shipping) of garments suspended from or attached to the pinch-grips. During such transport, for economic reasons, typically as many hangers (and the garments thereon) as possible will be forcibly pushed together (i.e., crowded) on a rod or like support (such as the loops of a looped rope, known as “a banana rope”) or in a box. Even if the close pressing together of the hangers (either on a rod or loop or in a box) is by itself insufficient to cause the opening of a pinch-grip, the added forces conveyed to the pinch-grip during transport may be sufficient to open the same.
Thus, when garments are transported by various vehicles, abrupt starts-and-stops, turning or the like may result in a pinch-grip opening and losing the garment. Clearly this is highly undesirable as the garment falling completely or partially onto a floor may become ruined or may at least require pressing before it is ready to be displayed for sale. Likewise, labor costs are incurred in picking up the fallen garments during transport and reinserting them in the pinch-grip.
Attempts to solve these problems have sometimes resulted in creation of other problems. For example, some existing pinch-hangers have “bumpers” intended to prevent the components of the pinch-grip from being accidentally pressed. Some of these do prevent the pinch-grip from opening prematurely, but in some cases, these “bumpers” have shaped in a way that prevents comfortable access of fingers to the pressing surfaces of the upper portion, in particular larger fingers, thereby preventing the pinch-grip components from being intentionally pressed into a fully open position.
Other problems also exist in conventional pinch-hangers. For example, when garments are displayed or shipped using a pinch-hanger, the pivot area of each pinch-grip on the hanger typically has projections that leave creases or indentations in the portion of the garment proximal to the pivot area. These markings are caused because the pivot area is exposed between the bottom ends of the components comprising the pinch-grip. Also, handlers of the garments, be they employees or customers, typically force the garments as far as possible into the pinch-grip before closing it, thereby compounding the creasing problem.
Moreover, known pinch-hangers are, due to their design, restricted in their ability to accommodate and secure bulky garments having an enlarged waistband area, for example pants or jeans, such as denim jeans, having a waistband with belt loops for a belt fitted thereon.
Typically the bottom ends or gripping parts have “teeth” that are able to dig into the garment because the garments can be heavy and these “teeth” are required to effectively maintain a grip. Garment waistbands may also be thin and difficult to effectively grip. Because of this, various “teeth” configurations are used, all of which leave multiple markings on the garment that are undesirable.
The configuration of these gripper teeth can also interfere with the process of loading the garment into the pinch-grip. This is most often the case when the pinch-grip receives a thick garment that touches the teeth upon entry, or when the pinch-grip is not opened fully for some reason (for example, by not applying enough pressure on the upper end of the pinch-grip to force it into a fully open position).
Further, these teeth are typically point-shaped, i.e., angled on two sides and are arranged in multiple rows which results in an unsightly pattern of marks on the garment. Moreover, it is found that pointed teeth are not always the most effective method for reliably holding a wide variety of fabrics.
In addition, conventional biasing mechanisms used to maintain the pinch-grips closed are not entirely satisfactory. One known problem is that when the hangers are exposed to extreme temperatures (for example, in a shipping container), the plastic materials typically used for the hangers can soften and bend sufficiently to reduce the amount of pressure that the “teeth” can apply to the garment. Investigation has indicated that this is due, at least in part, to the fact that, in conventional designs, the biasing forces are not effectively directed toward the area of contact between the pinch-grip and the garment.
Thus, there exists a need for further improvements in the art for a hanger which can solve the above problems, by preventing the pinch-grips from opening due to contact with other hangers during shipment or display, by permitting reliable accommodation of bulky garments having an enlarged waistband area and by preventing garments from being “pinched” or creased in the pivot area of the pinch-grip so as to reduce garment gripper markings, while also providing enough spring pressure to secure the garment within the pinch-grip.